Thursday, October 1, 2026
For South Side wrestling this season, it’s a case of quality over quantity.
“I told the kids at the beginning of the season, I said, ‘listen, we may not have a lot of guys, we may not have a lot of backups,’” head coach Mike Robinson said. “But if everyone stays healthy, I think we could potentially be a playoff team.”
That’s one of the goals for the Cyclones, along with getting seven or eight wrestlers to qualify for the Section 8 Division I Wrestling Championships and potentially four All-County selections.
If early-season results are an indicator, South Side may check all those boxes,
The Cyclones placed second behind Chaminade at the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament at South Side on Dec. 20. It was a tournament that included division rival Lynbrook, Poly Prep, Long Beach and Oceanside.
“That’s the first time in probably a very long time where we actually medaled as far as the team is concerned, so the kids performed outstandingly all day,” Robinson said. “I think this is definitely going to boost our confidence for the next tournament and the next event.”
As the No. 4 preseason seed, Robinson knows the Cyclones will need to knock off one of the teams ahead of them — Wantagh, Plainedge or Lynbrook — to qualify for the postseason.
That’s another attainable goal, Robinson believes, especially with South Side finishing ahead of Lynbrook at the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament after a tight 48-35 defeat to Wantagh.
Leading the way for South Side is Frank DiBenedetto, a sophomore who is currently ranked No. 5 in the county at 175 pounds. He was named his team’s Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament.
DiBenedetto’s partner in the South Side wrestling room is Lenny Budden, a junior who will likely move down to 165 to help balance the Cyclones roster.
“He’s one of those kids who is gritty, intense, strong, and in practice, those two go back and forth with each other all the time,” Robinson said.
Senior CJ Brower, who wrestles at 150, is one of the captains, along with fellow seniors Josh Feigenbaum and Donovan Sherwood at 157.
And then there’s Benjamin Yin, who was brought up last winter as a seventh grader. He took third at 118 in the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament and the Sprig Gardner Tournament earlier in December.
Robinson said sophomores Nick Sonitis, who wrestles at 126 pounds and reached his first final at the Cyclone Tournament, and Casey Testa, who placed first at 132 pounds, have made the biggest improvements from last year.
And when you add in juniors Richie Lanciers at 138 pounds, Ryan Perry at 144, and Pat Donovan at 215 as well as senior Jacob Arias and junior Tiernan Ferrick at 285, there’s good reason for optimism at South Side this year.
“We don’t have the big numbers, but the guys we have are quality, so I think we’re doing a pretty good job this year,” Robinson said.
